Lakurawa Is Not a New Terror Group, Says Analyst Bulama Bukarti

Security analyst Bulama Bukarti dispels rumors, confirming that Lakurawa is not a newly established terror group, emphasizing the importance of accurate information on security matters. 

The Lakurawa terror group, operating in certain regions of northern Nigeria, is not a recent phenomenon, according to a security expert and a prominent member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

Recently, the Defence Headquarters announced the emergence of a new terrorist organization known as ‘Lakurawa’ in the North-Western region of Nigeria. However, security expert Bulama Bukarti and ACF Publicity Secretary Tukur Muhammad-Baba, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, asserted that this group has been present for some time.

Bukarti stated, “The group currently referred to as Lakurawa has been intermittently residing or establishing camps in northwestern Nigeria for over six years. Their initial illegal incursions into Nigeria occurred around 2016 or 2017.”

He further explained, “They do not remain permanently; their pattern involves entering, staying for a few months, and then retreating back to the Sahel or their origin in Niger [Republic].”

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“They are not a new entity; the group known as Lakurawa has been intermittently present in northwestern Nigeria for over six years, and the Nigerian Army has been aware of this situation.”

“They are not a new group; the Department of State Services (DSS) is also cognizant of their presence. Initially, we believed they had been expelled, but it later became evident that an agreement was made for them to either depart or face military action.”

He asserted that both the Nigerian Army and the police are informed about the group’s existence. “In 2018, the Nigerian Army engaged this same group and forced them back into the Niger Republic, yet they have continued to camp in northwestern Nigeria since 2016-2017,” the expert noted.

Muhammad-Baba supported Bukarti’s statements, emphasizing that the terror group has been active for an extended period. “This is not a new group. In fact, when they first appeared around 2017 and 2018, the DSS was already aware of their activities,” the ACF spokesperson remarked.

He added, “At least one journalist who addressed the issue mentioned having met with the DSS during that tumultuous period, leading us to believe they were under control.”